US judge blocks Trump's latest ban on foreign students at Harvard
A US JUDGE has put a temporary stay on Donald Trump's latest effort to stop foreign students from enrolling at Harvard, as the US president's battle with one of the world's most prestigious universities intensified.
A proclamation issued by the White House late Wednesday sought to bar most new international students at Harvard from entering the country, and said existing foreign enrollees risked having their visas terminated.
'Harvard's conduct has rendered it an unsuitable destination for foreign students and researchers,' the order said.
Harvard quickly amended an existing complaint filed in federal court, saying: 'This is not the Administration's first attempt to sever Harvard from its international students.'
'(It) is part of a concerted and escalating campaign of retaliation by the government in clear retribution for Harvard's exercising its First Amendment rights to reject the government's demands to control Harvard's governance, curriculum, and the 'ideology' of its faculty and students.'
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US District Judge Allison Burroughs ruled the government cannot enforce Trump's proclamation.
Harvard had showed, she said, that without a temporary restraining order, it risked sustaining 'immediate and irreparable injury before there is an opportunity to hear from all parties.'
The same judge had already blocked Trump's earlier effort to bar international students from enrolling at the storied university.
'Government vendetta'
The government already cut around $3.2 billion (€2.7 billion) of federal grants and contracts benefiting Harvard and pledged to exclude the Cambridge, Massachusetts, institution from any future federal funding.
Harvard has been at the forefront of Trump's campaign against top universities after it defied his calls to submit to oversight of its curriculum, staffing, student recruitment and 'viewpoint diversity.'
Trump has also singled out international students at Harvard, who accounted for 27% of total enrollment in the 2024-2025 academic year and are a major source of income.
In its filing, Harvard acknowledged that Trump had the authority to bar an entire class of aliens if it was deemed to be in the public interest, but stressed that was not the case in this action.
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'The President's actions thus are not undertaken to protect the 'interests of the United States' but instead to pursue a government vendetta against Harvard,' it said.
Since returning to office Trump has targeted elite US universities which he and his allies accuse of being hotbeds of anti-Semitism, liberal bias and 'woke' ideology.
Trump's education secretary also threatened to strip Columbia University of its accreditation.
The Republican has targeted the New York Ivy League institution for allegedly ignoring harassment of Jewish students, throwing all of its federal funding into doubt.
Unlike Harvard, several top institutions – including Columbia – have already bowed to far-reaching demands from the Trump administration.
© AFP 2025
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The Irish Sun
an hour ago
- The Irish Sun
Diddy would be released in DAYS after Trump pardon but a ‘free ride' out of jail will not help his future, lawyer warns
SEAN 'Diddy' Combs would be a free man within days if Donald Trump decides to pardon him but it would not bode well for his future, a lawyer has warned. Trump surprised reporters by commenting on 5 Sean "Diddy" Combs with Donald Trump and Melania Trump before he became President of the US Credit: Getty 5 US President Donald Trump speaks in the Roosevelt Room of the White House in Washington, DC Credit: AFP 5 A sketch of Sean 'Diddy' Combs during his sex trafficking trial in New York on June 4, 2025 Credit: Reuters Asked if he would consider pardoning him, Trump said, "Nobody's asked. But I know people are thinking about it. I think some people have been very close to asking." He said he felt the former music mogul used to like him "a lot" but wasn't his biggest fan after he went into politics. Despite this, Trump said, "I would certainly look at the facts. If I think somebody was mistreated, whether they like me or don't like me, it wouldn't have any impact on me." Sean Combs The U.S. Sun spoke to Los Angeles-based trial attorney He said, "The pardoning power is one of the ultimate powers of the President. It's virtually unchecked, and he can do it. 'He doesn't even have to wait for the conviction. He can do it at any time after somebody's charged, even after the crime occurs. "So the second that President Trump determines that he's gonna pardon him [Diddy]. It happens immediately. Most read in Celebrity QUICK RELEASE "They basically sign the pardon, it would be sent to Diddy, and assuming he accepted, which obviously he would, then that's that." Lovell said if he had already been convicted there would be an administrative process through the Federal Bureau of Prisons to arrange his release and transportation but it wouldn't be long before he was out. Diddy 'gave hotel guard $100k in paper bag to bury Cassie beating video' "There may be a few hours, maybe one or two days sometimes that they can take time just because of the bureaucracy," he said. Combs, 55, is currently on trial in New York after pleading not guilty to five counts of sex trafficking, racketeering conspiracy, and transportation to engage in prostitution. He is facing up to life in prison if convicted. The jury has heard from several witnesses in the case so far, including Combs' ex-girlfriend, Diddy locked eyes with us as he entered the courtroom - inside the trial of the decade By Israel S-Rodriguez, Senior News Reporter at The U.S. Sun: The federal sex trafficking trial of Sean 'Diddy' Combs began with jury selection on May 5. Combs is standing trial at the Southern District of New York Courthouse in Lower Manhattan - an intimidating federal courthouse where the cases of Ghislaine Maxwell, Donald Trump, and Bernard Madoff, among others, were tried. Once a powerful founder of a music and business empire, Combs has been reduced to a defendant, inmate 37452-054, stripped of his mogul status, and now standing trial on five federal charges with the full wrath of the United States government against him. When I attended Day 3 of jury selection at the federal courthouse on May 7, the buzz around the start of the trial was palpable. Hours before the courthouse opened its doors, more than a dozen reporters and members of the public stood in line in hopes of securing a seat in the gallery for the high-profile trial. As you walk through the glass door entrance of the Daniel Patrick Moynihan Courthouse, you are met by bulletproof vest-clad court officers. All visitors must separate their electronic devices from their personal belongings, which are passed through a metal detector. Visitors walk through a metal detector before a court officer hands them a poker chip. 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I attended trial again as opening statements got underway on May 12 and the world media waited anxiously outside the federal courthouse before the sun rose in Lower Manhattan. A line stretched down the block from the federal courthouse as some members of the media and from the public camped out overnight to try to obtain a coveted seat inside the gallery. At least three overflow rooms were made available for reporters and the public, who are eager to witness the prosecutions case against the music mogul. At least half a dozen members of Combs' family arrived at the courthouse as spectators filed in single order to enter the federal building to turn over all their electronic devices. Combs' trial is being held on the 26th floor in Judge Arun Subramanian's courtroom and is expected to last for eight weeks. We'll bring it all to you on The U.S. Sun. He said it wouldn't make sense for Trump to pardon him halfway into the prosecution's case when the jury hasn't yet heard all of the facts, adding that it would be "premature" to act now. "I was very surprised that Trump is considering pardoning Diddy, especially in light of the fact the trial is ongoing now,' he said. "We are hearing witness after witness after witness testify to some horrible things. 'It would be a slap in the face to the witnesses, to the victims, to a lot of people to just pardon him, you know. People will think he got a free ride and beat the system." Attorney Tre Lovell on a possible pardon for Diddy "It would seem that he would want to wait until the trial is over, and if there's not a conviction then there's no need for him to get involved.' He went on to say, "There's one thing that Americans stand for … it's accountability, and if he were pardoned in light of what's been happening, these allegations and this testimony, there would be a sense of loss and lack of accountability. "And so I don't know how that would sit with most Americans with respect to President Trump." But Lovell said he doesn't think anybody would be surprised if Trump pardoned Diddy. "He's pardoned a lot of people that people take umbrage [with]. And he's not worried about a re-election, so I don't really think it would affect him. "He may have some more detractors, but I don't think he really cares, and his conduct thus far shows he's going to do what he wants to do." Lovell feels if Diddy is acquitted it would be a sense of victory and it would be easier to acclimate to society because he will have been vindicated in court. However, if he's convicted and pardoned by Trump it would have more of a negative impact on him. "It'll be a little tougher because people will think he got a free ride and beat the system," he said. But regardless, Lovell feels "Diddy's reputation has been irreparably harmed" and he will never be the billionaire music mogul he was once admired by millions. It comes after... Cassie Ventura Ventura testified Combs Celebrities like Prince, Mike Myers, and Bill Gates have been mentioned throughout the trial Kid Cudi testified about how his Trump has pardoned several high-profile inmates in recent months, including reality TV stars Todd and Julie Chrisley three years after they were convicted of bank fraud and tax evasion. Combs' federal trial has been ongoing for more than three weeks and there are more witnesses set to testify. More and more damning accusations have emerged about the alleged violence he inflicted behind closed doors. The singer, 38, alleged Ventura, who said she did not want to engage in the sex acts, told the court her music career took a backseat due to the toll the orgies took on her day, testifying how she needed days at a time to recover. Prosecutors also released photos of the injuries Ventura allegedly suffered from Combs' years-long abuse, including a gash on her forehead that had become a permanent scar. Combs has remained mostly stone-faced in court as his lawyers insist he is innocent. The prosecution's case is slated to rest the week of June 9. If you or someone you know is affected by any of the issues raised in this story, call RAINN (Rape, Abuse, & Incest National Network) at 800-656-HOPE (4673). Diddy's charges explained by a lawyer Former federal prosecutor Neama Rahmani explained the set of charges Diddy is facing to The U.S. Sun: "Diddy is facing three charges, or three sets of charges. "The first is racketeering, which you typically see with organized crime enterprises - so the mob, cartels, street gangs -but we're seeing it a lot more in sex trafficking cases. "And you don't need an organization like the mob, as long as it's an enterprise, which is something that consists of two or more people, and they engage in two or more RICO predicate acts, that's enough for racketeering. "Racketeering is a powerful charge because it allows the government to bring in all sorts of evidence of criminal activity, as well as all sorts of people, into that racketeering conspiracy. "And anyone who's a co-conspirator, they're on the hook for any criminal acts committed in furtherance of the conspiracy. "The most serious charge, though, is sex trafficking. "What separates sex trafficking from normal sex? Adults, of course, can consent to any type of sex, no matter how freaky it is. But sex trafficking has one of three elements: force, fraud, or coercion. "And the government is saying that Diddy used force to force these men and women to participate in these freak-offs, and he coerced them by drugging them. "The least serious charge is the prostitution, sometimes called the Man Act, and that's engaging in prostitution using some sort of interstate commerce across state lines. That obviously is unlawful. "Typically, you don't see federal cases for prostitution only, which is why it's the least serious of the crimes." 5 Sean "Diddy" Combs attends the 2018 Fox Network Upfront at Wollman Rink, Central Park Credit: Getty 5 President Donald Trump has spoken of the possibility of pardoning Diddy who is on trial in New York Credit: AFP
Irish Times
3 hours ago
- Irish Times
Trump warns Musk of ‘very serious consequences' if he backs Democrats
Donald Trump warned Elon Musk that he faces 'very serious consequences' if he funds Democratic candidates following the pair's epic public bust-up this week. The warning, delivered in an interview with NBC News set to broadcast on Sunday, follows days of feuding and threats after Musk called Republicans' budget legislation an 'abomination'. Mr Trump told interviewer Kristen Welker his relationship with the tech mogul was over and warned Mr Musk against choosing to fund Democrats after spending close to $300 million (€355 million) in support of Mr Trump's re-election last year. 'If he does, he'll have to pay the consequences for that,' Trump told NBC News. 'He'll have to pay very serious consequences if he does that,' he said. READ MORE [ Keith Duggan: Bromance descends into jaw-dropping feud Opens in new window ] Mr Trump was also asked if he had any wish to repair his relationship with Musk. 'No,' he said. Asked if he thought their relationship was over, he said, 'I would assume so, yeah,' and had no plans to speak with his erstwhile sidekick. 'I'm too busy doing other things,' Mr Trump said. 'I have no intention of speaking to him.' Elon Musk with President Donald Trump during a joint news conference in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, in May. Photograph: Haiyun Jiang/The New York Times But he predicted that the spat had helped to unify the Republican Party around him, saying the 'party has never been united like this before. It's never been. It's actually more so than it was three days ago.' Mr Musk's opposition to the Republican budget bill, formally the 'one big beautiful bill act', would not, he predicted affect its passage through Congress. The bill narrowly passed the House and is now under consideration in the Senate. However, some conservative Republicans share Musk's concerns about the need for significant spending cuts and are considering making changes. The bill extends Trump's 2017 tax cuts and includes new spending for border security and the military. Republicans aimed to offset these costs with cuts to programmes such as Medicaid, food stamps and green-energy tax credits. Projections from the Congressional Budget Office and independent analysts indicate that the bill would add between $2.3tn and $5tn to the deficit over the next 10 years. White House officials contend that the economic growth generated by tax cuts will offset the increased spending. [ How Trump spat threatens Elon Musk's business empire: 'Nobody on the right or left is gonna buy a Tesla' Opens in new window ] Still, Mr Trump told NBC he is 'very confident' that the bill will pass the Senate before July 4th. 'I think, actually, Elon brought out the strengths of the bill because people that weren't as focused started focusing on it, and they see how good it is,' Mr Trump said. 'So in that sense, there was a big favour. But I think Elon, really, I think it's a shame that he's so depressed and so heartbroken.' And he accused Mr Musk of being 'disrespectful to the office of the president'. 'I think it's a very bad thing, because he's very disrespectful. You could not disrespect the office of the president,' he said. Earlier, Musk deleted a post from X, the social media platform he owns, that asserted links between Trump and disgraced US financier Jeffrey Epstein . Probed on the inflammatory post, Mr Trump said: 'That's called 'old news', that's been old news, that has been talked about for years. Even Epstein's lawyer said I had nothing to do with it. It's old news.' Musk has also retracted a threat to begin 'decommissioning' SpaceX's Dragon spacecraft used by Nasa to ferry astronauts and supplies to the International Space Station. That came after Mr Trump suggested he might cancel SpaceX's federal contracts. On Saturday, the president said he hadn't given the subject any more thought. 'I'd be allowed to do that,' he said, 'but I haven't given it any thought.' Earlier on Saturday, JD Vance told interviewer and comedian Theo Von that Mr Musk was making a 'huge mistake' going after Mr Trump, but downplayed Mr Musk's attacks as being made by an 'emotional guy' who got frustrated.' I hope that eventually Elon comes back into the fold. Maybe that's not possible now because he's gone so nuclear,' the vice-president said. But he reasoned: 'Look, it happens to everybody. I've flown off the handle way worse than Elon Musk did in the last 24 hours.' 'I actually think if Elon chilled out a little bit, everything would be fine,' Vance said. – Guardian
Irish Independent
9 hours ago
- Irish Independent
From banning X to killing government contracts – all the ways Musk and Trump could hurt each other as they go nuclear
Within a few hours on Thursday, the public spat between Donald Trump and Elon Musk exploded into debates over the president's impeachment and Musk's accusation that the president is implicated in a sexual abuse scandal. But how they choose to escalate from here could have far-reaching impacts – and not just for the fate of a massive bill that sparked their break-up. Trump and Musk command the world's attention, own competing social media platforms, and are each in a position to wield the power of the presidency and spend, and lose, billions of dollars against one another. How Trump could go after Musk Kill government contracts Trump has already suggested yanking government contracts for Musk's companies Tesla and SpaceX, which are due to receive at least $3bn in contracts from 17 agencies. 'The easiest way to save money in our Budget, Billions and Billions of Dollars, is to terminate Elon's Governmental Subsidies and Contracts,' Trump wrote on Truth Social. On his War Room podcast, Trump ally Steve Bannon urged Trump to retaliate against the world's wealthiest man by, among other things taking control of SpaceX. 'The US government should seize it,' Bannon said on Thursday. Cut off Elon's access to the White House Musk ended his 130-day 'special government employee' term in the Trump administration last week after serving as an 'adviser' to the president for the so-called Department of Government Efficiency, which Musk unleashed across the federal government to make drastic cuts to spending and the workforce. But Trump left the door open for Musk to return. That 130-day term can be renewed next year. Trump could sever that arrangement at any time. Bannon also called on Trump to strip Musk's top-secret clearances, which he is granted in conjunction with his work on SpaceX and NASA. Make X illegal With more than 220 million followers on a social media platform under his control, Musk can use that audience and ability to shift media narratives against the president to advance his agenda. Trump, whose entire campaign was built on retribution, possesses executive authority to shut X down, according to experts. ADVERTISEMENT Trump could declare X a national security risk, 'which would permit him to ban the platform outright', claims Devan Leos, from platform Undetectable AI. He can ban Trump from X in retaliation, but that would almost certainly trigger an executive response from the White House The president could invoke the International Emergency Economic Powers Act on national security grounds to prevent X from operating, which would probably trigger a high-profile legal battle. 'Musk now faces a difficult choice. He can ban Trump from X in retaliation, but that would almost certainly trigger an executive response from the White House,' according to Leos. The president, meanwhile, owns more than 100 million shares, or roughly 53pc, of Trump Media & Technology Group, the parent company of social media platform Truth Social. His stake in the company is worth billions of dollars. Investigate Musk's immigration status and drug use Musk was born in South Africa before he emigrated to Canada and later the US. Last year, the Washington Post reported that the billionaire worked in the country illegally before gaining citizenship. Bannon called on the president to deport him. 'Elon Musk is illegal. He's got to go too,' Bannon said on his podcast. Trump also could wield the power of his office to initiate other investigations under a Department of Justice controlled by his fierce ally Attorney General Pam Bondi, including into allegations of his drug use at the campaign trail and within the administration. How Musk could go after Trump Flood opponents with cash The world's wealthiest person spent tens of millions of dollars supporting Trump's 2024 campaign. On Thursday, he took credit for his victory. But this year, his multi-million dollar effort to support a conservative Wisconsin Supreme Court candidate blew up in his face, with his DOGE efforts tanking his – and Tesla's – appeal. 'Is it time to create a new political party in America that actually represents the 80 percent in the middle? Still, Republican candidates fear being his target. Musk and his allies have threatened to fund primary challenges against any GOP member of Congress who supports legislation he doesn't. 'Is it time to create a new political party in America that actually represents the 80 percent in the middle?' Musk asked on Thursday. Democrats agree with Musk that Trump's 'big, beautiful bill' is a disaster, but aren't necessarily welcoming him to the party after the right-wing billionaire torched government agencies and helped but Trump back in office. 'We should ultimately be trying to convince him that the Democratic Party has more of the values that he agrees with,' California Democratic representative Ro Khanna, whose district represents Silicon Valley, told Politico. 'A commitment to science funding, a commitment to clean technology, a commitment to seeing international students like him.' Wield social media against the president It took just four hours for a feud playing out on two different social media platforms for Musk to drop what he called a 'bomb' against the president. 'Time to drop the really big bomb,' he wrote on X. 'Trump is in the Epstein files. That is the real reason they have not been made public.' That loaded accusation – Musk's suggestion that Trump was involving the sex offender's trafficking scheme – appeared to be the tipping point in their feud. Musk, who just days ago seemed to have no problem associating with a man he is now alleging is implicated in Epstein's crimes, could launch a humiliation campaign against the president for an audience that has been largely disappointed with the Trump administration's approach to the Epstein case. Far-right influencers have turned on top federal law enforcement officials over the case, accusing Trump of continuing what they believe is a 'deep state' conspiracy theory covering up powerful people. Musk could leverage that hostility. Use DOGE against Trump Musk hired a small army of young loyalists and old allies for his government-wide operation to not only eliminate jobs and spending but extract reams of data from millions of Americans. DOGE's unprecedented access to Americans' data 'is alarming, made worse by the complete absence of meaningful oversight,' according to Ben Zipperer, a senior economist with the Economic Policy Institute. 'That unrestrained access to data will likely worsen the problem of identity theft in the United States, which could cost working families tens of billions of dollars annually.' A report from Democratic senator Elizabeth Warren's office also uncovered more than 100 instances that Musk allegedly abused his role as a 'special government employee' overseeing DOGE to benefit his private interests. Musk violated 'norms at an astonishing pace,' amounting to 'scandalous behaviour regardless of whether it subjects him to criminal prosecution.' The report accuses Musk of using the government to promote his businesses, including turning the White House lawn into a Tesla showroom, and allegedly discovered roughly two dozen instances where the government 'entered or explored new lucrative contracts' with the billionaire while halting enforcement actions against his companies.
